Grand opening of the Nankang branch

"Boss Chen, you finally made it."

"Boss Liu, what's the rush? It's not like there are many people here."

"Look, look, hardly anyone has come."

Liu Chunsheng's store in Nankang was larger than the one in Xinfeng. Today, for the grand opening, he was full of anticipation. However, the higher the anticipation, the greater the disappointment.

Originally, he thought that as soon as the store opened, a crowd of customers would rush in. But to his surprise, it had been several hours since the opening, and there were hardly any customers entering.

"Boss Liu, come on, it's not the right time yet. It's so hot, who would want to eat snails? People will start coming in the evening. Let me tell you, the best time to eat snails is at night."

"I know, but seeing no customers coming in, I can't help but feel anxious."

"Don't worry; I can guarantee that the Nankang branch will definitely become a hit today."

"Really?"

"Of course."

Chen Simian was brimming with confidence.

Seeing Chen Simian's calm demeanor, Mr. and Mrs. Liu felt a bit more relieved.

Indeed, it was strange for anyone to come out to eat snails on such a hot day. They would have to wait.

"Come on, Boss Chen, have some tea."

"Boss Liu, you're too kind. By the way, is today's opening event offering free snails?"

"How could that be?"

"Boss Liu, didn't we suggest that you should organize such an event?"

"Boss Chen, I'm afraid the customers will eat us out of business."

"I..."

Chen Simian sighed and said, "Boss Liu, how could that happen? Our free snail tasting is limited to dining in the restaurant. Even if we have a lot of customers, they can't eat us out of business. Besides, they'll still order drinks while eating snails."

"Boss Chen, you don't know, there are many middle-aged women in our Nankang area. If you really offer free snail tasting, these middle-aged women can eat at your place all day, and they definitely won't order drinks."

"It's not that extreme."

"It's true."

"Alright."

Since Mr. Liu said so, Chen Simian didn't insist further. He knew that while there might be some customers coming for the free snail tasting, the proportion of such customers would not be very high. The reason Mr. Liu hesitated was mainly due to his lack of resolve. This made Chen Simian decide to include the promotional plan in the franchise agreement when signing it in the future.

"Look, there's a growing crowd on the street."

"Many people have come out for a stroll."

"The weather is nice today."

At 5 o'clock in the afternoon, as the scorching heat began to dissipate, the crowds gradually grew larger.

"Hey, there's a place selling snails here."

"Snail Beauty? Why does that name sound familiar?"

"There's a Snail Beauty in Xinfeng."

"Right, right, there's a Snail Beauty in Xinfeng. I've even seen their advertisements online."

"How's the taste?"

"I heard it's quite good."

"Let's give it a try."

Snails were a type of street food that was not only affordable but also popular. Encountering a snail specialty shop like this, just like in Xinfeng, customers in Nankang also walked into the store, ready to try something new.

"Boss, how much for a bowl of snails?"

"Boss, it's three yuan per bowl."

"That's cheap, I'll have one."

"Sure."

Liu Chunsheng personally approached and placed a bowl of snails on the customer's table.

"It smells so good."

"The taste is different from other places."

"Come on, try one."

Once they tasted it, the customers couldn't stop.

"Oh my, these snails taste great."

"They're better than all the other snail places around here."

"It's so satisfying. Let's get some bottles of soy milk, guys."

"Come on, eating snails and drinking soy milk is the perfect combo."

There was a curious phenomenon in the business world. If a store appeared empty, people were less likely to enter. But if a store seemed crowded, even those who didn't intend to spend money would want to check it out.

This was exactly the case for Snail Beauty's Nankang branch.

When they first opened, there was no one in the store. However, as the sun began to set and more people came out for a stroll, groups of customers entered Snail Beauty one by one. With its delicious flavor, Snail Beauty quickly won over diners. At the same time, it enticed those passing by on the street.

The aroma of the snails was particularly irresistible.

"What's that amazing smell? It's so fragrant."

"It seems to be coming from that snail place."

"Wow, there are so many people."

"Let's not waste any more time, let's try it."

Indeed, Chen Yu's prediction was spot on. Given all the favorable conditions in Nankang, Snail Beauty was just as successful there as it was in Xinfeng. Even though they didn't have any special promotions when they first opened in Nankang, Snail Beauty quickly became a hit.

And quickly became a striking attraction on Nankang's snack street.

Meanwhile, Chen Simian returned to Xinfeng with a joyful heart.

...

"Jian Ge, how have you been feeling lately?"

"Fantastic! I feel like I'm on fire."

"On fire? Wow, Jian Ge, that's quite the achievement. Everyone knows you're on fire."

"It's necessary. I have to keep improving. If my performance is too poor, you might feel awkward asking me to leave, and I'd feel awkward staying here."

"Very true."

It had been a week since Chen Yu rented the office space, and 5173 was steadily making progress. In addition to the reputation they had gained in The Legend of Mir 2, they were also making strides in other games.

However, looking at the trading data in the backend, Chen Yu was somewhat dissatisfied.

"Jian Ge, how come the total number of transactions for all the other games is so low?"

"There's not much player activity in the other games. Right now, Legend is the most popular."

"That may not be entirely accurate. While the player base is smaller in these other games, there are still quite a few people playing. Games like Thousand Years, Stone Age, and NetEase's latest release, Westward Journey Online, have a substantial player population."

"It's possible that our 5173 platform hasn't gained enough visibility in these games."

"That's true."

Chen Yu nodded. "Is there any way to increase the visibility of 5173 in these games?"

"For now, our main approach is as you suggested – creating accounts and advertising within the games. Additionally, we've posted quite a few threads on the game forums. However, most of these forum posts have been deleted. As for the in-game accounts, several of them were banned."

"Banned? Why were they banned?"

"They accused us of spamming junk advertisements."

"Damn..."

Chen Yu couldn't help but complain.

"Chen Yu, don't worry too much. We're actually progressing quite well. Our website was created just a week ago, and we're already processing hundreds of transactions every day. With just transaction fees alone, we're making over 1,000 yuan daily. Moreover, we've contacted several gaming workshops and established collaborations with them. I believe that in another year or so, more than half of the players will know about 5173."

It had to be acknowledged that Zhang Jianming had made significant progress. For instance, his suggestion to collaborate with gaming workshops had brought a steady stream of transaction orders to 5173 in recent days.

However, Chen Yu didn't have the luxury of waiting for such a long time. The internet always changed rapidly, and what seemed like good progress one day could be overshadowed by a new industry giant the next. Chen Yu had chosen to enter the gaming website market with 5173 because it wasn't fiercely competitive at the moment. Now that he was in, he had to either dominate the entire market or risk being obliterated by competitors who could emerge at any moment.